DHS leaks 41,000 staff records via Okta breach

More than 41,000 employee records from the Department of Homeland Security have been published online, exposing the names, work addresses, and phone numbers of agents across multiple federal agencies. The data, released on Wednesday, includes personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. According to the dataset, 21,000 of the listed individuals work for CBP, while nearly 6,600 serve in ICE.

The breach marks the third major leak or hack targeting a US government agency in recent weeks. A group known as the Department of Peace claimed access to the internal profiles through a single sign-on service called Okta. They handed the data to journalist and cybersecurity researcher maia crimew and the website Distributed Denial of Secrets, which hosted the information in a database named Icepick. The release also included dozens of previously unknown operation names and details on technology provided by vendors Cellbrite and Palantir.

Emma Best, a co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, stated the goal was to replace anonymity with accountability. She described the leak as identifying officials responsible for overseeing covert operations and the government's internal hunt for leakers. Best noted that the data covers key personnel in DHS's rendition and deportation programs. The Department of Peace specifically cited the actions of ICE agents as motivation for the hack, referencing Secretary Markwayne Mullin's remarks from July 17 that he was turning up the heat.

DHS confirmed it is aware of a potential breach. A spokesperson said the agency is actively working to address the situation swiftly and effectively. The department stated it takes security threats against employees seriously and will update the public when more information is available. Okta, the identity provider used for the access, said it is aware of the claims but maintains its systems were not compromised.

The leak arrives as public scrutiny of immigration enforcement intensifies. Since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, the US has enacted nearly 1 million deportations, with more than 70% involving individuals with no criminal record, according to the Migration Policy Institute. ICE agents have shot at more than two dozen people this year, killing at least nine. Those victims include Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both shot and killed in Minnesota despite not being targets of arrests.

Previous security incidents include a hack by ShinyHunters that exposed FBI agent data last month and a suspected attack that took the Federal Election Commission website offline in recent days. The Department of Peace said the leak was not intended to be a directory of every agent but rather a tool to expose the officials behind specific enforcement actions.